Restaurant Review: Ramen Misoya (Montreal, Qc)

The Review

On a recent Friday afternoon, I visited Ramen Misoya for lunch. Even though I arrived a little late for lunch, around 1 PM, the place was packed. It’s a small, casual restaurant located in a basement that clearly draws in a crowd. On their website, the restaurant claims that it’s “finally an authentic Japanese Ramen restaurant in Montreal!”, which might explain some of its popularity. Luckily, I only had to wait about 10 minutes for a seat. It was rather cold outside, so I was happy about the restaurant’s warm and cosy atmosphere while I waited, though its decor is overall a little bare.

The restaurant’s menu has mostly ramen. It has 3 different kinds of miso ramen bases, komemiso (Hakkaido-style), shiromiso (Kyoto-style), and mamemiso (Nagoya-style). Overall, there are 17 different types of ramen on the menu, with different combinations of toppings and broth. Each type of ramen already comes topped with several toppings, including bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, cabbage, and green onions. You can also order extra toppings separately, like marinated eggs, corn, fried tofu, or spicy miso paste. Also, the menu has a few sides and appetizers, like gyoza, fried tofu, and takoyaki.

My order – Fried chicken ramen!

I ordered chicken Kara-age mamemiso ramen (fried chicken ramen), with an added soft boiled egg. When the soup arrived, it was hot and smelled fragrant and fresh. In the menu, the broth is described as a “thick soup with full-bodied flavor”. In my opinion, this description is on point. The soup was thick and flavorful, maybe even a bit too much for my taste. The miso flavour was very strong, with a hint of sesame taste. The toppings were nicely arranged on top of the noodles and broth when the soup arrived. The main topping, the fried chicken, tasted a little bland in contrast to the powerful broth. It was also a little dry, though it still tasted okay. The other toppings, including the marinated egg, were delicious and went well with the broth. The noodles were the yellow kind of egg-noodle often found in ramen. The texture was chewy and not too soft.

The portion size was quite large, and I was barely able to finish my whole meal. For around $17, I feel I got a a really satisfying meal. Some aspects were lacking, like the restaurant’s atmosphere, as well as the chicken that came with my ramen. I would go back here on a cold day for one of their hot soups to warm me up. I just think I would try a different kind of broth and toppings with my order next time.

Edibility rating

If you’re confused about what’s going on in this section, check out our post on our edibility pillars, here.

Taste: 3/5

In my opinion, the broth and the chicken could have been better. The broth was too strong, and the chicken lacked flavor. Over all though, the meal was pretty enjoyable even if it could have been improved.

Easiness: 5/5

It was pretty easy to get this meal. All I had to do was walk in to the restaurant and order it. That’s much easier than making ramen myself, which is also pretty simple (as you can see in our post with homemade ramen tips, here).

Affordability: 3.5/5

At $17, I definitely could have made a similar meal for cheaper at home. For the price, I feel it’s still worth it for the convenience and the generous size of the meal.

Speed: 3.5/5

It was easier to get this meal than to make it at home. I had to wait about ten minutes to get a seat in the restaurant, and then wait for it to be ready. The process wasn’t exactly instant, but didn’t take too long either.

Nutrition: 2/5

I wouldn’t exactly call this meal healthy. The broth was very salty, and fried chicken is not the most health conscious choice, either. Its size also means it probably has lots of calories, though it is up to you how much of it you eat.

Let us know what are your favorite ramen restaurants around the world!